SOLID PREPARATION PACKAGING APPARATUS

Abstract

A solid preparation packaging apparatus includes a solid preparation accommodating unit, a transfer mechanism unit and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit each individually accommodated in a main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction; an electrical component chamber containing a CPU circuit board and a power supply at the lowest portion of the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a flexible wiring cover mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, a wiring of the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the CPU circuit board and the power supply.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a solid preparation packaging apparatus which is installed, for example, in hospitals or dispensing pharmacies in order to charge packaging sheets or bottles with solid preparations specified in a prescription (hereinafter, the solid preparation will be referred to all the solidified preparations such as medical tablets, capsules, pills, and troches).

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, in hospitals and the like, solid preparation packaging apparatuses are used to separately wrap a dose (the amount to be taken at a time) of multiple types of medical tablets or capsules (which will be referred to as solid preparations) prescribed by the physician for each patient and then provide the dose to the patient (see Patent Literature 1).

This solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is configured such that a solid preparation accommodating unit 3 with a number of vertically-elongated prism-shaped tablet cases 6 disposed in an array so as to accommodate solid preparations by type is located at an upper portion, and a discharge and count unit which functions to discharge and count the accommodated solid preparations is included under each of the tablet cases 6. Below the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, there is disposed a transfer mechanism 10 which is made up of a hopper and a conveyor. The transfer mechanism 10 receives the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases 6 and guides the solid preparations to the charging port formed by the lower hopper member so that the solid preparations are collected to one place. Below the transfer mechanism 10, there is disposed a solid preparation packaging mechanism 14, which separately packs (referred to as separate wrapping) a dose (the amount to be taken at a time) of solid preparations collected to the charging port of the lower hopper member.

In the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, with various types of solid preparations stored by type in the tablet cases 6, the operator inputs prescription data based on a prescription at an input unit such as a personal computer electrically connected to the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 and then starts the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1. The controller of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is then operated to actuate the discharge and count unit for a predetermined tablet case 6; a dose (the amount to be taken at a time) of solid preparations is discharged; and the solid preparations collected by the transfer mechanism 10 into the lower hopper member are introduced into the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14. In the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14, a pouch for the amount to be taken at a time is formed by a heat-sealing mechanism from a sequentially transferred packaging sheet 20, and then a dose (the amount to be taken at a time) of solid preparations collected into the lower hopper member is separately wrapped by being accommodated and then sealed in one pouch.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

• [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei. 10-118159

In the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 which operates in this manner, the printing mechanism prints required information such as the timing of taking the dose and the name of the patient on each pouch. Accordingly, the controller incorporated into the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 includes various types of electronic circuit boards on which formed are electronic circuits for exchanging information with the input unit as well as for controlling the discharge and count unit of the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the conveyor of the transfer mechanism 10, the feed mechanism for the packaging sheet 20 in the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14, the heat-sealing mechanism, the printing mechanism and the like. The electronic circuit boards mainly include a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as the CPU circuit board) for exchanging information with the input unit and for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, and a printing circuit board for the printing mechanism. Furthermore, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 also includes a power supply for supplying power to these circuit boards, power to the motor of the conveyor of the transfer mechanism 10, power to the motor of the feed mechanism for the packaging sheet 20 in the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14, and power to the driving portion and the heater of the heat-sealing mechanism.

Like the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 disclosed in Patent Document 1, the main body may include the solid preparation accommodating unit 3 disposed at an upper portion, the transfer mechanism 10 disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14 disposed below the transfer mechanism 10. In this case, by taking the ease of loading solid preparations into the tablet cases 6 into account, the solid preparation accommodating unit 3 at the upper stage is capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction, while by taking inspection and repair into account, the transfer mechanism 10 and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14 at the lower stages are capable of being simultaneously pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction. In this case, the printing circuit board and the power supply are accommodated near the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14 at a lower stage; however, the central processing unit circuit board is a fairly large flat plate, and thus by taking heat radiation into account, disposed vertically on the outer surface of the rear wall of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1.

It is thus difficult to inspect or repair the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14. In particular, it is cumbersome to incorporate, inspect, repair, or replace the wiring to each circuit board and the wiring to the power supply in the solid preparation packaging apparatus. Furthermore, since the central processing unit circuit board is disposed on the outer surface of the rear wall of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, the circuit board has to be covered with a cover in order to prevent the human body from touching the circuit board or dust particles from being adhered thereto. This leads to an increase in costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of these problems, the present invention provides a solid preparation packaging apparatus which facilitates the inspection and repair of the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism as well as facilitates the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring to each circuit board and the wiring to the power supply. Accordingly, since the fairly large flat central processing unit circuit board is disposed inside the solid preparation packaging apparatus, the technique of the present invention is configured to provide the solid preparation packaging apparatus at the lowest portion thereof with an electrical component chamber where the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply are accommodated, thereby facilitating the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply. Furthermore, the provision of the electrical component chamber at the lowest portion of the solid preparation packaging apparatus makes it possible to provide a lowered center of gravity to the solid preparation packaging apparatus and thereby an improved effect of preventing the solid preparation packaging apparatus from being toppled over when the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction.

Furthermore, in order that the solid preparation packaging apparatus which is operated with a voltage of 100 volt in Japan can also be used abroad or operated with a voltage higher than 100 volt (for example, at 120 volt), the power supply is additionally provided with a transformer as one component. For example, since the transformer to be employed to step down 120 volt to 100 volt is generally 5 to 6 kg in weight, the transformer can be placed at the center of the rear portion in the electrical component chamber. When this weight is used for the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction, the technique provides an effect of preventing the solid preparation packaging apparatus from being toppled over.

The solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction. In this case, when these components are drawn out or the number of tablet cases in the solid preparation accommodating unit increases, the solid preparation packaging apparatus would tend to be more easily unbalanced, causing concerns to rise over the danger of the apparatus being toppled over with the solid preparation accommodating unit kept drawn out. Accordingly, when the solid preparation packaging apparatus is used in Japan, a dedicated balance weight may be included. In this case, this balance weight leads to increase in costs because the weight is specially made and requires mounting holes to be provided on the mounting flanges. In this context, attention is focused on the fact that the aforementioned transformer for general-purpose use, which is comparatively inexpensive, can be employed at low costs as the balance weight. With a prediction that the solid preparation packaging apparatus should be able to be used in a given higher-voltage region as described above, the aforementioned transformer is incorporated into the solid preparation packaging apparatus being produced. When the solid preparation packaging apparatus is used in Japan, the wiring will detour around the transformer, which acts only as the balance weight, thereby providing, at low costs, the effect of preventing the apparatus from being toppled over. On the other hand, in the case when the solid preparation packaging apparatus is used abroad where a transformer must be used, the solid preparation packaging apparatus into which the transformer is incorporated can be exported. Thus, the technique of the present invention makes it possible to make the solid preparation packaging apparatus available abroad as well as in Japan and implement at low costs the effect of preventing the apparatus from being toppled over.

Furthermore, the solid preparation packaging apparatus is additionally provided at the lowest portion thereof with the electrical component chamber where the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply are accommodated. In this case, the technique of the present invention makes the inventive solid preparation packaging apparatus greater in height than a conventional solid preparation packaging apparatus, thereby facilitating the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring associated with the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply. Furthermore, the technique also makes it possible to provide the solid preparation packaging apparatus with a lowered center of gravity and thereby an improved effect of preventing the apparatus from being toppled over when the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction.

Furthermore, the specific solid preparation supply unit may be disposed on the upper surface of the solid preparation packaging apparatus so that specific solid preparations are loaded from above into the buckets of the specific solid preparation supply unit. In this case, the solid preparation packaging apparatus provided by the present invention makes the inventive solid preparation packaging apparatus greater in height than a conventional solid preparation packaging apparatus so as to facilitate the loading of the specific solid preparations from above into the buckets.

Furthermore, treating foreign characters other than Japanese characters and English letters as text data would require high costs for creating and processing the data. In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a solid preparation packaging apparatus which can treat the text data as image data for printing and which includes a specific character printing circuit board, for providing control to printing, in the electrical component chamber at the lowest portion of the apparatus, thereby facilitating the mounting of the circuit board and the wiring to the circuit board.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a solid preparation packaging apparatus, in a main body of which a solid preparation accommodating unit having a plurality of tablet cases disposed in an array is disposed at an upper portion, each of the tablet cases accommodating solid preparations by type, the solid preparation accommodating unit having a discharge mechanism for discharging the accommodated solid preparations; a transfer mechanism unit for receiving the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases and collecting the solid preparations into a charging port is disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit; and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit for forming a pouch on a strip of packaging sheet and for charging each pouch with the solid preparations collected in the charging port and sealing the pouch is disposed below the transfer mechanism unit. The solid preparation packaging apparatus is configured such that

the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit are each individually accommodated in the main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction;

the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit includes a printing mechanism unit for printing on the pouch;

the main body is provided with an electrical component chamber below the solid preparation packaging mechanism;

the electrical component chamber is provided with a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as a CPU circuit board) for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a power supply for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit; and

a flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, the wiring of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a solid preparation packaging apparatus, in a main body of which a solid preparation accommodating unit having a plurality of tablet cases disposed in an array is disposed at an upper portion, each of the tablet cases accommodating solid preparations by type, the solid preparation accommodating unit having a discharge mechanism for discharging the accommodated solid preparations; a transfer mechanism unit for receiving the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases and collecting the solid preparations into a charging port is disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit; and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit for forming a pouch on a strip of packaging sheet and for charging each pouch with the solid preparations collected in the charging port and sealing the pouch is disposed below the transfer mechanism unit. The solid preparation packaging apparatus is configured such that

the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit are each individually accommodated in the main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction;

the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit includes a printing mechanism unit for printing on the pouch;

the main body is provided with an electrical component chamber below the solid preparation packaging mechanism;

the electrical component chamber is provided with a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as a CPU circuit board) for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a power supply for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit, the electrical component chamber being further provided with an image printing circuit board required for the printing mechanism unit to print based on image data; and

a flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, the wiring of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the central processing unit circuit board, the image printing circuit board, and the power supply.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the first and second aspects of the invention, wherein the printing circuit board of the printing mechanism unit is disposed at the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit.

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, wherein a step-down transformer is provided as a component of the power supply, and the transformer is mounted at a weight balance position at the center of a rear portion in the electrical component chamber.

A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, wherein

the main body is provided at a top front portion thereof with a specific solid preparation supply unit for supplying, to the transfer mechanism unit, specific solid preparations accommodated in a plurality of buckets each having an upper opening,

on a top surface region of the main body behind the specific solid preparation supply unit, a flat surface is formed to place thereon an input unit such as a personal computer for transmitting and receiving information to/from the central processing unit circuit board; and

a flat-shaped lid to cover the buckets can be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism can be each individually configured to be pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction, and can be thus inspected and repaired with ease. Furthermore, the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism are each individually capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction. Additionally, the main body of the solid preparation packaging apparatus is provided at the lowest portion thereof with the electrical component chamber, where the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply are accommodated. Accordingly, when compared with a conventional solid preparation packaging apparatus which has the central processing unit circuit board disposed on the outer surface of the rear wall thereof, the central processing unit circuit board provided inside the main body of the solid preparation packaging apparatus eliminates the need for covering the same with a special cover in order to prevent the circuit board from being touched by the human body or prevent dust particles from being adhered to the circuit board. This makes it possible to cut costs as compared with the aforementioned conventional one.

Furthermore, the main body is provided at the lowest portion thereof with the electrical component chamber, where the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply are accommodated. When compared with the conventional one, this structure facilitates the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply. Furthermore, the provision of the electrical component chamber at the lowest portion of the solid preparation packaging apparatus makes it possible to provide a lowered center of gravity to the solid preparation packaging apparatus. This structure can provide an improved effect of preventing the solid preparation packaging apparatus from being toppled over when the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction.

Furthermore, the flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out or pushed back is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit. This structure allows, as a matter of course, the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to be smoothly pulled out or pushed back while the wiring is protected. Additionally, in this structure, the electrical wiring from the electrical component chamber at the lowest portion to the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit disposed above the same can be inspected and repaired with ease because the flexible wiring cover portion can be visually checked with the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit kept drawn out.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the electrical component chamber is provided, in addition to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply, with the image printing circuit board required for the printing mechanism unit to print based on image data. The flexible wiring cover mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is configured such that the wiring of the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is passed through the flexible wiring cover to the central processing unit circuit board, the image printing circuit board, and the power supply. This structure, including the wiring from the electrical component chamber to the image printing circuit board, can provide the same effects as those of the aforementioned first aspect of the invention.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the printing mechanism unit and the printing circuit board are provided in conjunction with the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit, whereby the wiring for connecting between the printing mechanism unit and the printing circuit board can be reduced in length. Furthermore, the printing circuit board and the central processing unit circuit board can be laid through the flexible wiring cover, whereby the same effects as those of the aforementioned first aspect of the invention can be provided.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in order that the solid preparation packaging apparatus which is operated with a voltage of 100 volt in Japan can also be used abroad or operated with a voltage higher than 100 volt (for example, at 120 volt), the power supply is additionally provided with a transformer as one component. In this case, for example, a transformer for general-purpose use which is to step down 120 volt to 100 volt is typically 5 to 6 kg in weight. Accordingly, the transformer can be incorporated into the solid preparation packaging apparatus in advance so that the user can choose whether to use the apparatus in Japan or abroad. It is thus possible to preferably prevent the solid preparation packaging apparatus from being toppled over, without a costly special balance weight.

Concerning the fifth aspect of the present invention, while the main body is provided on the top front portion thereof with the specific solid preparation supply unit for accommodating specific solid preparations in the buckets and supplying the specific solid preparations to the transfer mechanism unit, information including information on the specific solid preparations accommodated in the buckets may be transmitted/received using an input unit such as a personal computer to/from the central processing unit circuit board. In this case, manipulating this input unit placed on a desk or the like installed near the solid preparation packaging apparatus would require the place for the desk and is inconvenient. Accordingly, to allow the input unit to be used on the solid preparation packaging apparatus, a flat area for placement of the input unit is formed on the top surface region of the main body behind the specific solid preparation supply unit. On the other hand, the buckets of the specific solid preparation supply unit have to be covered with a lid for hygienic reasons. Conventionally, since this lid was of an open/close type, the input unit placed behind the lid could not be operated with the lid open. The fifth aspect of the invention provides a solid preparation packaging apparatus which solves these problems at one stroke by placing the flat-shaped lid, for covering the buckets, so as to be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit, whereby the input unit can be manipulated with ease.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view illustrating the arrangement of each stage of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention with each stage drawn out;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view illustrating the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention with tablet cases drawn out;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view illustrating the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention with the tablet cases drawn out and a specific solid preparation supply unit mounted on the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view illustrating the unit structure of the tablet cases of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory front view illustrating the slide rail portion of the tablet cases of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention and the mounting portion of the specific solid preparation supply unit;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the specific solid preparation supply unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of a bucket portion of the specific solid preparation supply unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention and the driving unit therefor;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating the configuration of the bucket portion of the specific solid preparation supply unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention and the driving unit therefor;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view illustrating the passageway structure through which specific solid preparations are delivered from the specific solid preparation supply unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a transfer mechanism unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view illustrating a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating the form of a packaging sheet in the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention and how the opening of a pouch is formed;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shutter unit for charging a solid preparation into a pouch of the packaging sheet in the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating the use of the specific solid preparation supply unit and an input unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view illustrating the arrangement of a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit including a printing mechanism unit of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a top plan view illustrating the positional relation of a flexible wiring cover in an electrical component chamber of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a side view illustrating the flexible wiring cover when the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit has been pushed back in the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 19 is a side view illustrating the flexible wiring cover when the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a solid preparation packaging apparatus, in the main body of which a solid preparation accommodating unit having a plurality of tablet cases disposed in an array is disposed at an upper portion, each of the tablet cases accommodating solid preparations by type, the solid preparation accommodating unit having a discharge mechanism for discharging the accommodated solid preparations; a transfer mechanism unit for receiving the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases and collecting the solid preparations into a charging port is disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit; and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit for forming a pouch on a strip of packaging sheet and for charging each pouch with the solid preparations collected in the charging port and sealing the pouch is disposed below the transfer mechanism unit. The solid preparation packaging apparatus is configured such that

the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit are each individually accommodated in the main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction;

the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit includes a printing mechanism unit for printing on the pouch and a printing circuit board for the printing mechanism unit;

the main body is provided with an electrical component chamber below the solid preparation packaging mechanism;

the electrical component chamber is provided with a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as a CPU circuit board) for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a power supply for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit; and

a flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, the wiring of the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply. The embodiment thereof will now be described below.

First Embodiment

The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention is installed, for example, in hospitals or dispensing pharmacies in order to charge a solid preparation specified in a prescription (hereafter, the solid preparation will be referred to all types of solidified preparations such as medical tablets, capsules, pills, and troches) into packaging sheets, bottles or the like. The embodiment to be described below relates to a solid preparation packaging apparatus which is configured to charge a solid preparation into a pouch formed on a packaging sheet shaped in an elongated strip.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 according to the present invention, which is installed, for example, in hospitals or dispensing pharmacies, is mainly made up of a solid preparation accommodating unit 3 formed in a rectangular main body 2; a transfer mechanism unit 10 which is provided thereunder; a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 which is provided thereunder; and an electrical component chamber 80 which is provided under the packaging mechanism unit 14. The solid preparation accommodating unit 3 is formed at an upper portion in the main body 2 so that the front of the solid preparation accommodating unit 3 is opened or closed with a front door 4 that is pivotally moved in the frontward and downward direction. Furthermore, the transfer mechanism unit 10 is opened or closed with a drawer-type front door 5 on the front thereof, and can be drawn out of the main body 2 in conjunction with the front door 5 for repair, inspection or the like. The transfer mechanism unit 10 is designed to be stopped with a stopper (not shown) when drawn out of the main body 2 to a predetermined position (maximum drawn-out position). Furthermore, the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is opened or closed with a drawer-type front door 43 on the front thereof, and can be drawn out of the main body 2 in conjunction with the front door 43. The electrical component chamber 80 is formed at a lower portion in the main body 2, where on the front side thereof, there is formed a backup chamber 81 which is separated from the electrical component chamber 80 by a partition wall 99, and the front of the backup chamber 81 is closed with double doors 82 that can be each opened rightward or leftward. The backup chamber 81 serves to store a spare wound roll of packaging sheet 20 or the like.

The solid preparation accommodating unit 3 is provided with a plurality of tablet cases 6 in an array, each for accommodating solid preparations, i.e., solidified medicines such as the medical tablets, capsules, pills, and troches, according to the type thereof. Below each of the tablet cases 6, there is disposed a discharge mechanism 6A for discharging solid preparations one by one. The discharge mechanism 6A includes a motor-driven discharge drum thereinside and is provided with a discharge and count unit such as a photo-sensor. The discharge drum is constructed to allow solid preparations to be received vertically in one line in a plurality of grooves formed on the side thereof. Then, the discharge drum is configured to rotate and thereby drop the solid preparations one by one from each groove, and the number of the solid preparations is detected and counted by the discharge and count unit. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each group of a given number of tablet cases 6, which is placed on a rectangular dish shaped receiver member 42, forms a single unit, so that each unit is retained so as to be drawable along slide rails 43 in the back-and-forth direction while the front door 4 is kept pivotally opened in the downward position. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the one illustrated includes four units Y1 to Y4, each of which is configured to be stopped with a stopper (not shown) when drawn out of the main body 2 to a predetermined position (maximum drawn-out position) while the front door 4 is kept open.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, to replenish the tablet cases 6 with solid preparations, the front door 4 is opened, and then the receiver member 42 is drawn out so that the tablet cases 6 are moved onto the front door 4. After the tablet cases 6 have been replenished with solid preparations, the receiver member 42 is pushed back so that the tablet cases 6 are placed back in the solid preparation accommodating unit 3.

The tablet cases 6 are drawable in the back-and-forth direction in this manner, which allows for replenishing the tablet cases 6 with solid preparations or replacing the tablet cases 6 themselves without requiring any space above the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1. This allows for saving space.

Furthermore, as shown, for example, in FIG. 1, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is provided, on the top front portion of the main body, with a specific solid preparation supply unit 7. The specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is configured to accommodate and feed specific solid preparations which cannot be stored in the tablet cases 6, that is, special solid preparations (for example, tablets cut into two) or specially prescribed solid preparations. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, on a base plate 7A, the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is configured to include a timing belt 46 (alternatively chains or gears may also be employed in this case) looped between pulleys 44 which are rotatably mounted on the base plate 7A; a plurality of buckets 47 mounted on the timing belt 46 and having an opening on the top thereof; a cover 48 mounted on the base plate 7A so as to cover these components; and a flat-shaped lid 7B which is removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 so as to cover all the buckets 47.

The specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is detachably provided on the main body 2. The specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is configured to include, on the main body 2, a motor 8 and a pulley 9 which is coupled to the motor 8 by means of a belt 8A, allowing a shaft 9A of the pulley 9 to fit into one of the pulleys 44 on one end side of the specific solid preparation supply unit 7. Then, when driven by the motor 8, the timing belt 46 is driven to rotate.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, there is formed a drop passageway 7B on the other end side of the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 on the top of the main body 2, so that the drop passageway 7B communicates with the transfer mechanism unit 10, to be discussed later. Each of the buckets 47 of the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 stores each specific solid preparation as mentioned above, so that the user can turn on the switch to rotate the motor 8, thereby sequentially rotationally driving each of the buckets 47.

Furthermore, the bottom surface of each of the buckets 47 is provided with an open/close bucket lid 47A which is pivotably supported so as to be opened downwardly in the travel direction. When the bucket 47 comes to an opening 7C in the drop passageway 7B, the bucket lid 47A is opened downwardly so that the specific solid preparation in the bucket 47 is allowed to drop through the drop passageway 7B as indicated with arrow P in FIG. 10. The drop passageway 7B is disposed above a hopper 51 to be discussed later.

This structure allows the specific solid preparations in each of the buckets 47 to be discharged only by means of the motor 8 without requiring other driving units, and thus the entire structure is simplified. Note that the bucket lid 47A is hit and then closed by the main body 2 after the buckets 47 passed through the opening 7C.

As shown in FIG. 11, the transfer mechanism unit 10 is mainly made up of the hopper 51 and a conveyor 52, so that the hopper 51 and the conveyor 52 cover the bottoms of all the tablet cases 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer mechanism unit 10 is configured such that the hopper 51 and the conveyor 52 are integrally retained on slide rails 10A so as to be pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction in conjunction with the front door 5. The hopper 51 includes a lower hopper member 41 which is located on the right side when viewed from the front and generally at the center in the back-and-forth direction, and an upper hopper member 53 with front, rear, and right sides which are steeply inclined downwardly (at a sharp angle of inclination) to be linked to the lower hopper member 41. The lower hopper member 41 is funnel-shaped, and has an opening or a rectangular charging port 13 at the lowest end thereof.

The conveyor 52 includes right and left rotational rollers 55, and an elastic sheet 61 looped over these rollers 55 with a predetermined tension. The conveyor 52 is driven by a motor (not shown) so that the upper surface travels in the transfer direction or from left to right as denoted by arrow Q in FIG. 11. Furthermore, the conveyor 52 is arranged to be downwardly inclined from left to right toward the charging port 13 of the lower hopper member 41, so that as shown in FIG. 11, the transfer end (the right end) is located above the left end of the lower hopper member 41. Furthermore, the upper hopper member 53 is downwardly inclined (generally at an angle of 37°) from front and rear of the conveyor 52 toward immediately above the upper-side elastic sheet 61 of the conveyor 52.

There is provided a shutter unit 71 on the lower side of the lower hopper member 41. The shutter unit 71 allows a controller 35 (to be discussed later) to control a solenoid (not shown), so that right and left shutter plates 72 and 73 (to be discussed later) are driven to open or close the charging port 13, allowing the solid preparation in the lower hopper member 41 to be delivered downward.

The solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is provided with a printing mechanism unit 15, a first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, a second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29, and transfer means for the packaging sheet 20 (to be discussed later), which are each disposed on a flat-shaped table 96 along a transfer passageway through which the packaging sheet 20 is transferred in the form of an elongated strip. The solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is configured such that the table 96 can be pulled out of and pushed back into the main body 2 in conjunction with the front door 43 along rail units 97 which are provided on both the right and left sides in the main body 2.

The solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is provided with the transfer means for the packaging sheet 20 as described above. The transfer means for the packaging sheet 20 includes: feed means for feeding the packaging sheet 20 in the form of an elongated strip from a packaging sheet roll 20R around which an elongated strip of the packaging sheet 20 is wound in a roll shape; guide means for guiding the fed packaging sheet 20 to a predetermined position; and pull-in means for pulling the leading end of the packaging sheet 20. As shown in a partially enlarged perspective view in FIG. 16, the packaging sheet feed means is provided with a feed motor 18. The feed motor 18 is formed of a servo mechanism the rotation of which can be readily controlled and configured to rotate at a predetermined RPM for a predetermined period of time in response to a received signal. Furthermore, a rotation shaft 19 of the feed motor 18 is removably fitted into a hollow shaft 21 on which the center portion of the packaging sheet roll 20R wound in a roll shape is mounted, allowing the packaging sheet roll 20R to be detachably attached to the rotation shaft 19 of the feed motor 18. Accordingly, with the hollow shaft 21 fitted over the rotation shaft 19, the rotational power of the rotation shaft 19 of the feed motor 18 rotates the packaging sheet roll 20R so as to feed the packaging sheet 20.

Here, a description will be made to the packaging sheet 20. The packaging sheet 20 serves to receive and pack the solid preparation and the specific solid preparation, and is made of a thin heat-sealable paper material with a heat-sealable material, such as polyethylene dissolved at a predetermined temperature, employed as an supplemental medium. A longitudinally elongated strip of the packaging sheet 20 of a predetermined width is wound around the hollow shaft 21 in a roll shape. Furthermore, the packaging sheet 20 is folded into two generally at the center in the width direction so as to form a double sheet. Thus, the packaging sheet 20 has a fold 20A or the lower end of the folded double sheet and an opening 20B defined by both ends of the folded double sheet (the upper ends opposite to the fold 20A). The packaging sheet 20 is wound around the hollow shaft 21 and forms the packaging sheet roll 20R while kept in the form of the folded double sheet, and is provided with a hard portion 20C at an extreme end of the packaging sheet roll 20R, i.e., at the leading end of the packaging sheet 20.

The hard portion 20C is formed in a predetermined size from the leading end of the packaging sheet 20 so as to prevent the packaging sheet 20 from being easily deformed when loaded up to pull-in rollers 30 through the printing mechanism unit 15, the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, and the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29, to be discussed later. The hard portion 20C is formed, for example, by heat-sealing the entire range of the predetermined size from the leading end of the packaging sheet 20 (the trailing end of the winding of the packaging folded double sheet 20 which is wound around the hollow shaft 21). This allows the packaging sheet 20 to be loaded in a normal condition up to the pull-in rollers 30 without the leading end of the packaging sheet 20 being easily bent. The pull-in rollers 30 are equivalent to the aforementioned pull-in means which pulls the leading end of the packaging sheet 20, and as shown in FIG. 12, the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is started to operate when the hard portion 20C is set to be located between the pull-in rollers 30.

Furthermore, the packaging sheet roll 20R wound in a roll shape reaches the pull-in rollers 30 through the transfer passageway having a straight passageway portion and a curved passageway portion while being drawn in the shape of an elongated strip. The curved passageway portion has a guide roller disposed as appropriate, while the straight and curved passageway portions have a guide wall disposed as appropriate. These guide roller and guide wall constitute the guide means which guides the fed packaging sheet 20 to a predetermined position, thereby allowing the packaging sheet 20 to smoothly pass through the curved passageway.

As shown in FIG. 12, the pull-in rollers 30 are configured such that a pair of narrow rubber rollers 33A and 33B (rollers such as of natural rubber or synthetic rubber) are rotatably attached to rotation shafts 32A and 32B with a pull-in motor 31 provided under the rotation shaft 32B to which one of the rubber rollers 33B is attached. The rotation shaft 32A of the other rubber roller 33A is subjected to force exerted by a coil spring (not shown) or the like, thereby causing the rubber roller 33A to be brought into pressure contact with the rubber roller 33B at a predetermined pressure. Under this condition, the pull-in motor 31 is rotated, thereby allowing both the rubber rollers 33A and 33B to rotate. Then, while the packaging sheet 20 is sandwiched between both the rubber rollers 33A and 33B, the rotational power of the pull-in motor 31 is configured to rotate the rotation shaft 32B and thus rotate the rubber roller 33B, thereby causing the packaging sheet 20 to be drawn and fed toward the opposite side.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the printing mechanism unit 15, the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, and the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29 are sequentially disposed along the transfer passageway through which the packaging sheet roll 20R wound in a roll shape travels to reach the pull-in rollers 30. The printing mechanism unit 15 is to print the required information, such as the product name and the timing of taking the solid preparation, on the outer surface of a pouch 36 (to be discussed later). Furthermore, the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28 and the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29 serve to heat-seal the opening 20B of the packaging sheet 20 and partition the packaging sheet 20 into the pouches 36, each for a unit dose, and are made up of a pair of first heaters 28A and 28B, and a pair of second heaters 29A and 29B, which are opposed to each other with a predetermined distance therebetween, respectively. Note that of these heaters 28A, 28B, 29A, and 29B, the heaters 28B and 29B on one side are linked to each other by a link plate 74 so as to form a fixed side. Furthermore, the heaters 28A and 29A on the other side are provided with an actuator (not shown) and actuated to be brought into pressure contact with or spaced apart from the respective opposing heaters 28B and 29B. Then, each of the heaters 28A, 28B, 29A, and 29B is energized and thereby heated to predetermined temperatures.

The first heaters 28A and 28B sandwich and heat the packaging sheet 20 on the both sides thereof to thereby perform transverse heat-sealing 27A on the leading side of the packaging sheet 20 in the feed direction. On the other hand, the second heaters 29A and 29B sandwich and heat the packaging sheet 20 on the both sides thereof to thereby perform transverse heat-sealing 27B on the trailing side of the packaging sheet 20 in the feed direction subsequently to the heat-sealing 27A, and also perform heat-sealing 27B on the opening 20B at the upper portion. As indicated with arrow R in FIG. 12, this allows the packaging sheet 20 to travel a predetermined distance toward the pull-in rollers 30 by the rotational power of the pull-in rollers 30, that is, the portion heat-sealed by the transverse heat-sealing 27A travels to the position at which vertical portions 29A1 and 29B1 of the second heaters 29A and 29B are opposed to each other. Then, the second heaters 29A and 29B heat-seal the packaging sheet 20 to thereby sequentially form a pouch 36A having the opening 20B between the first heaters 28A, 28B and the vertical portions 29A1, 29B1 of the second heaters 29A, 29B as well as to form, on the pull-in rollers 30 side, the pouch 36 with the sides thereof other than the fold 20A heat-sealed.

Furthermore, the second heaters 29A and 29B form a plurality of perforated holes 37 generally along the center of the width of a heat-sealed portion 27B (from the fold 20A to the opening 20B) when heat-sealing from the fold 20A to the opening 20B of the packaging sheet 20 above the transverse heat-sealing 27A performed by the first heaters 28A and 28B. This allows the three sides of the packaging sheet 20 other than the fold 20A to be heat-sealed to provide a rectangular pouch 36 with the entire perimeter closed, and the pouches 36 can be separated from each other by being torn off along the perforated holes 37.

Such a structure allows the packaging sheet roll 20R to be rotated by the feed motor 18 and the packaging sheet 20 to be thereby fed, so that the hard portion 20C formed at the leading end of the packaging sheet 20 travels toward the pull-in rollers 30 sequentially through the transfer passageway. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the hard portion 20C of the packaging sheet 20 being fed reaches the pull-in rollers 30 sequentially through the printing mechanism unit 15, the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, and the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29.

When the packaging sheet 20 has been fed to the pull-in rollers 30, both the rubber rollers 33A and 33B of the pull-in rollers 30, while in pressure contact with each other, pull the packaging sheet 20 in the opposite direction (toward the right in FIG. 12). Thus, the packaging sheet 20 is pulled in between the pull-in rollers 30 and the front end thereof is then pulled out toward the front through a pull-out port 77 formed on the door 43. This makes it possible to guide and thus load the packaging sheet 20 at predetermined positions in a care-free manner.

Here, the feed motor 18 and the pull-in motor 31 are rotated in a manner such that the amount of travel of the packaging sheet 20 pulled in between the pull-in rollers 30 is greater than the amount of travel of the packaging sheet 20 fed from the roll-shaped packaging sheet 20R, so as to provide a predetermined tension between the roll-shaped packaging sheet 20R and the pull-in rollers 30, thereby allowing the packaging sheet 20 to be transferred with stability.

When the roll-shaped packaging sheet roll 20R is loaded in a predetermined condition, the condition is detected by a switch (not shown). When the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is turned on under that condition, the count of the number of dropped solid preparations is reset. Furthermore, it is assumed that the sub-heater 28 and the main heater 29 have been heated to a predetermined temperature and the conveyor 52 has been energized and thereby driven.

On the basis of a physician's prescription, the operator enters the prescription data on an input unit PC (such as a personal computer), which is electrically connected to the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, and then presses the start key. This causes the discharge drum of the tablet cases 6, in which the solid preparation is stored, to be rotationally driven, so that the solid preparation of the type that is specified by the prescription data is dropped one by one into the hopper 51 or onto the conveyor 52. Furthermore, the solid preparation fed from the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is also allowed to drop onto the conveyor 52 in the same manner by a user's given operation.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, the input unit PC is placed on the upper surface area of the main body 2 behind the specific solid preparation supply unit 7, i.e., on a planar placement area 2A for the input unit PC. As described above, the lid to cover all the buckets 47 in the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 is not designed to be pivoted backwardly upright but is constructed as the flat-shaped lid 7B which can be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit 7. Accordingly, to load specific solid preparations into the buckets 47 with the input unit PC placed on the planar placement area 2A, the flat-shaped lid 7B can be removed, allowing the user to operate the input unit PC from the front of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 without being disturbed by the flat-shaped lid 7B. It is thus possible to load specific solid preparations into the buckets 47 and operate the input unit PC smoothly.

The number of solid preparations being dropped from the tablet cases 6 is counted by the controller 35 on the basis of the output from the photo-sensor. When the count of dropped solid preparations agrees with the number of solid preparations specified by the prescription data, the operation of the discharge mechanism 6A is stopped to finish dropping the solid preparation.

At this time, the solid preparation from the tablet cases 6 above the lower hopper member 41 will directly drop into the lower hopper member 41. Furthermore, the solid preparation dropped onto the upper hopper member 53 drops into the lower hopper member 41 due to the inclination of the upper hopper member 53. The solid preparation dropped onto the upper hopper member 53 drops onto the elastic sheet 61 of the conveyor 52 due to the inclination of the upper hopper member 53. Then, the solid preparations are fed into the lower hopper member 41 in conjunction with those that have been directly dropped onto the elastic sheet 61.

Here, since the conveyor 52 is inclined, the solid preparation on the elastic sheet 61 is fed to the lower hopper member 41 by means of this inclination and the transfer power of the conveyor 52 itself. In particular, the inclination of the conveyor 52 can prevent or retard cylindrical tablets or the like from being rotated where they are on the elastic sheet 61.

Then, the solid preparations collected in this manner in the lower hopper member 41 are temporarily retained on the shutter unit 71. As shown in FIG. 14, the shutter unit 71 includes the right and left shutter plates 72 and 73. The shutter plates 72 and 73 are integrated with the solid preparation retainers 72A and 73A for retaining the solid preparations collected in the lower hopper member 41 by closing the charging port 13, and with opening holders 72B and 73B for opening the opening 20B of the pouch 36A to the right and left, respectively. Accordingly, when a dose of all the solid preparations is retained on the solid preparation retainers 72A and 73A of the shutter plates 72 and 73 closed as shown in FIG. 14, the shutter unit 71 is actuated to open the shutter plates 72 and 73, so that the opening 20B of the pouch 36A is wide opened by the opening holders 72B and 73B as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Furthermore, at the same time, since the solid preparation retainers 72A and 73A are opened, the solid preparations collected in the lower hopper member 41 are loaded into the pouch 36A of the packaging sheet 20 which is located below.

Since the solid preparations are loaded into the pouch 36A by wide opening the opening 20B by the shutter plates 72 and 73 in this manner, the solid preparations can be charged into the pouch 36A of the packaging sheet 20 smoothly with reliability. Furthermore, since the shutter plates 72 and 73 also serve to temporarily retain the solid preparation dropped with the charging port 13 closed, it is possible to reduce parts count.

As shown in FIG. 14, after the solid preparation is accommodated in the pouch 36A of the packaging sheet 20 in this manner, the shutter unit 71 causes the solid preparation retainers 72A and 73A of the shutter plates 72 and 73 to close the charging port 13 again. Since each of the opening holders are brought into contact at the same time, the opening 20B of the packaging sheet 20 is substantially closed to complete the pouch 36. Next, while the pull-in rollers 30 are actuated by the controller 35 so as to pull and stop the packaging sheet 20 at a predetermined position, the heat-sealing mechanism unit 29 heat-seals the opening 20B of the packaging sheet 20 as described above. Note that at the stage prior to the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, the required information, such as the product name and the timing of taking the solid preparation, is printed by the printing mechanism unit 15 on the outer surface of the portion equivalent to the pouch 36 of the packaging sheet 20.

The required information is printed by the printing mechanism unit 15 on the pouch 36 on the basis of the prescription data in this manner. At the same time, a given number of solid preparations of the type based on the prescription data are automatically packed in the pouch 36, so that a strip of the package with a series of the pouches 36 in which the solid preparations are packed is fed to the pull-out port 77. When the predetermined packaging work is completed in this manner, the operation of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is stopped. The user of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 tears off the strip of the package with the series of the pouches 36 along the last perforated holes 37 thereof, takes the strip of the package out of the pull-out port 77, and then passes the package to the patient.

The present invention provides the aforementioned solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 with a structure which facilitates wiring to each circuit board constituting the controller 35 and the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring in the power supply. The present invention also provides an improved technique for preventing the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 having a lowered center of gravity from being toppled over when the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14 are constructed to be pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction. Now, a description will be made to this technique.

The controller 35 refers to the entire control circuit which consists of a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as the CPU circuit board) 90 as a main component and a printing circuit board 91 of the printing mechanism unit 15 electrically connected to the CPU circuit board 90. The CPU circuit board 90 has a central processing unit (CPU) circuit which exchanges information with the input unit PC such as a personal computer electrically connected to the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 and which is responsible for collective control over the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1.

The aforementioned solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 provides the following collective control: exchange of information with the input unit PC; ON/OFF control of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1; feed control of the solid preparation from the solid preparation accommodating unit 3; feed control of the specific solid preparation from the specific solid preparation supply unit 7; detection of the attachment condition of the packaging sheet roll 20R; control over the feed means for feeding the packaging sheet 20 in the shape of a strip, the guide means for guiding the fed packaging sheet 20 to a predetermined position, the pull-in means for pulling the leading end of the packaging sheet 20, the conveyor 52, the shutter unit 71, and the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28 and the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29 which form the pouch 36 on the packaging sheet 20; control on printing by the printing mechanism unit 15 onto the packaging sheet 20; and control on displaying on a display unit 100. This collective control is provided so that the operation of each component of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, such as the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the specific solid preparation supply unit 7, the transfer mechanism 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14, is executed with predetermined timing and in a given step.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the electrical component chamber 80 is provided with a power supply 92 for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism unit 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14. Furthermore, since the central processing unit circuit board 90 includes the CPU, a memory device, and components related thereto and is thus a fairly large flat-shaped circuit board, the central processing unit circuit board 90 is also installed in the electrical component chamber 80. The central processing unit circuit board 90 is disposed vertically on the partition wall 99 on the rear side of the partition wall 99 between the electrical component chamber 80 and the backup chamber 81.

To smoothly lay electrical wiring 95 from the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 to the central processing unit circuit board 90 and the power supply 92, a flexible wiring cover 93 which is continuously curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body 2 is laid between the electrical component chamber 80 and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14. The flexible wiring cover 93 is disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of the sidewall of the main body 2 on one of the right and left sides of the electrical component chamber 80 and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14.

The flexible wiring cover 93 is well-known as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-242481, and configured such that a plurality of links 94 are coupled to each other to be rotationally moved, and the wiring 95 is inserted into the coupled links 94 with the wiring 95 kept flexible. Thus, the flexible wiring cover 93 having such a function would not be limited to a particular structure.

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, the flexible wiring cover 93 is installed such that one end portion (the lower end portion) thereof or a mounting portion 93B is mounted rotationally movably at an appropriate location on the partition wall 99 between the electrical component chamber 80 and the backup chamber 81; the other end portion (the upper end portion) thereof or a mounting portion 93C is rotatably mounted on the table 96 of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14; and the intermediate portion between the electrical component chamber 80 and the transfer mechanism unit 10 forms a backwardly projected curved portion 93A which is disposed in a space behind the table 96. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 18, when the front door 43 is closed so that the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is accommodated in (pushed back into) place, the curved portion 93A of the flexible wiring cover 93 is located at the rearmost position.

As shown in FIG. 19, for the inspection, repair, or replacement of parts of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14, the table 96 supported on the rail units 97 is drawn out of the main body 2 in conjunction with the front door 43. At this time, the flexible wiring cover 93 serves to smoothly draw the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 by allowing the wiring 95 passing through the links 94 to be curved while the position of the curved portion 93A is continually moved as the coupled links 94 are rotated one after another.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the table 96 is configured to stop at a stopper (not shown) provided on the rail units 97 when drawn out of the main body 2 to a predetermined position (the maximum drawn-out position) in conjunction with the front door 43. Accordingly, at the predetermined position (the maximum drawn-out position), the entire solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 is exposed, including the portion 93B at which the flexible wiring cover 93 is rotatably mounted on the table 96 of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14, so that the entirety of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 including the flexible wiring cover 93 can be visually checked from the front of the main body 2. In this pulling-out state, it is possible to check for damage to the wiring 95 that extends through the flexible wiring cover 93 to the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14, allowing repair or replacement to be performed as required.

On the other hand, to accommodate the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 in the main body 2, the front door 43 is pushed back and thereby the table 96 supported on the rail units 97 is pushed back at the same time. At that time, the flexible wiring cover 93 serves to smoothly push back the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 by allowing the wiring 95 passing through the links 94 to be curved while the position of the curved portion 93A is moved as the coupled links 94 rotationally move one after another.

The printing mechanism unit 15 includes the printing circuit board 91 which is necessary for the printing mechanism unit 15 to print pre-set characters (Japanese characters in this example), and the printing circuit board 91 is covered with a cover 98 that is detachably screwed onto the table 96. Note that to dissipate heat from the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 including the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14, there is provided a heat radiation fan 105 on the table 96 or on the rear wall of the main body 2 corresponding to the heat radiation hole formed on the rear wall of the main body 2 associated with the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14.

The wiring 95 extending from the electrical component chamber 80 through the flexible wiring cover 93 to the area of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 includes the wiring related to the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14: the power supply lines from the power supply 92 to the printing mechanism unit 15, the first heat-sealing mechanism unit 28, the second heat-sealing mechanism unit 29, and the transfer means of the packaging sheet 20, which constitute the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14; a signal communication line from the central processing unit circuit board 90 to the printing circuit board 91; and a signal communication line to an image printing circuit board 103 (to be discussed later) and the printing mechanism unit 15. Note that it is preferable that the power supply lines from the power supply 92 to the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism unit 10, and the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 pass through the flexible wiring cover 93. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 has, on the front top thereof, the display unit 100 for displaying the settings or the operation status of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 as well as control keys 101 for entering settings, it is also preferable that the signal communication lines from the central processing unit circuit board 90 to the display unit 100 and the setting control keys 101 pass through the flexible wiring cover 93.

As described above, to dispose the central processing unit circuit board 90 or a fairly large flat-shaped board inside the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is provided at the lowest portion thereof with the electrical component chamber 80, where the central processing unit circuit board 90 and the power supply 92 are accommodated, thereby facilitating the incorporation, inspection, repair, and replacement of the wiring to the central processing unit circuit board 90 and the power supply 92. Furthermore, the provision of the electrical component chamber 80 at the lowest portion in the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 makes it possible to provide a lowered center of gravity to the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 and thereby an improved effect of preventing the apparatus 1 from being toppled over when the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism unit 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction.

Furthermore, the flexible wiring cover 93 that is continually curved as the transfer mechanism unit 10 is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body 2 is mounted across the electrical component chamber 80 and the transfer mechanism unit 10 in order to allow the wiring 95 to pass from the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism unit 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14 to the central processing unit circuit board 90 and the power supply 92. As a matter of course, this structure allows the transfer mechanism unit 10 to be smoothly pulled out or pushed back while protecting the wiring 95. Additionally, when compared with the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 which has a conventional two-stage structure (with the solid preparation accommodating unit in the first stage, and the transfer mechanism unit and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in the second stage) as well as the apparatus 1 which has a conventional three-stage structure (with the solid preparation accommodating unit in the first stage, the transfer mechanism unit and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in the second stage, and the backup chamber in the third stage), the main body 2 of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 may be increased in height and the specific preparation supply unit 7 may be disposed on the front top of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1. In this case, the height can be designed so as to facilitate loading of specific solid preparations into the specific preparation supply unit 7, also allowing the input unit PC to be placed on the upper surface of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 so as to be always operated with ease.

On the other hand, to adapt the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 for use abroad, it is necessary to print characters (to be referred to as specific characters) based on the language of the country. In this case, to treat the language of the country as text data, a great deal of time and costs may be required for the development of software. In order to avoid such a situation, the present invention treats the language of such a country not as text data but as image data, so that the image data may be used by the printing mechanism unit 15 to print required information, such as the product name of and the timing of taking the solid preparation, on the outer surface of the portion equivalent to the pouch 36. The characters to be treated as the specific characters include, for example, Arabic characters and Chinese characters other than Japanese characters and English letters.

Thus, according to the present invention, the text representative of the required information such as the product name of and the timing of taking the solid preparation to be printed on the outer surface of the pouch 36 is pre-stored in a memory device as image data, so that at the time of printing, the image data is read for printing. Accordingly, the image printing circuit board 103 which constitutes the memory device for storing image data in this manner and a control circuit associated therewith is disposed in the electrical component chamber 80. A signal communication line connects between the image printing circuit board 103 and the central processing unit circuit board 90, a circuit of the image printing circuit board 103 is operated in response to an operation command from the central processing unit circuit board 90, and then the printing mechanism unit 15 prints the characters based on the image data on the outer surface of the pouch 36.

In this case, the signal communication line between the image printing circuit board 103 and the central processing unit circuit board 90 is also included in the wiring 95 from the electrical component chamber 80 through the flexible wiring cover 93 to the region of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit 14. In this case, as with the aforementioned case, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is provided with a lowered center of gravity and thus can be prevented from being toppled over. Moreover, the apparatus 1 allows the specific solid preparation to be handled with ease and the input unit PC to be placed and operated always with ease on the upper surface of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1.

Furthermore, in order that the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 which is operated with a voltage of 100 volt in Japan can also be used abroad or operated with a voltage higher than 100 volt (for example, at 120 volt), the power supply 92 is additionally provided with a transformer 104 as one component. For example, since the transformer 104 to be employed to step down 120 volt to 100 volt is generally 5 to 6 kg in weight, the transformer 104 can be placed at the center of the rear portion in the electrical component chamber 80 in order to balance the weight distribution. When the solid preparation accommodating unit 3, the transfer mechanism 10, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism 14 are configured to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction, the weight of the transformer 104 provides a great effect of preventing the possibility of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 being toppled over frontward.

Furthermore, as the number of tablet cases 6 in the solid preparation accommodating unit 3 increases, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 would tend to be more easily unbalanced, causing concerns to rise over the danger of being toppled over with the solid preparation accommodating unit 3 kept drawn out. Accordingly, when the apparatus 1 is used in Japan, a dedicated balance weight may be included. In this case, this balance weight leads to an increase in costs because the weight is specially made and requires mounting holes to be provided on the mounting flanges. In this context, attention is focused on the fact that the aforementioned transformer 104 for general-purpose use, which is comparatively inexpensive, can be employed at low costs as the balance weight. With a prediction that the apparatus 1 should be able to be used at a given higher voltage as described above, the aforementioned transformer 104 is incorporated into the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 being produced. When the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 is used in Japan, the wiring will detour around the transformer 104, which acts only as the balance weight, thereby providing, at low costs, the effect of preventing the apparatus 1 from being toppled over. On the other hand, in the case when the solid preparation packaging apparatus is used abroad where a transformer must be used, the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 into which the transformer 104 is incorporated in advance has only to be exported.

Furthermore, as described above, the present invention is configured such that the top surface region of the main body 2 behind the specific solid preparation supply unit 7 serves as the planar placement area 2A for the input unit PC, and the flat-shaped lid 7B to cover the bucket portion 47 can be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit 7. While a lid to cover the bucket portion 47 is formed to be openable backwardly by means of a hinge assembly, the specific solid preparation may be loaded into the bucket portion 47 with the lid open and at the same time, the information thereof may be checked or entered on the input unit PC placed on the planar placement area 2A. In this case, the opened lid serves as an obstacle, so that the input unit PC can be manipulated from the front of the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1 with difficulty. To avoid this situation, the input unit PC must be unpreferably placed on a desk or table near the solid preparation packaging apparatus 1. However, the present invention has solved such a problem because the input unit PC placed on the top surface region of the main body 2 can be manipulated with ease.

Various modifications may be made to the solid preparation packaging apparatus according to the present invention without departing from the technical scope of the present invention, and all such modifications may fall within the scope of the present invention. The solid preparation packaging apparatus is not limited to the structure illustrated in the aforementioned embodiment but may also encompass various modes within the scope of the solid preparation packaging apparatus which can provide the same effects as those described above.

Claims

1. A solid preparation packaging apparatus, in a main body of which a solid preparation accommodating unit having a plurality of tablet cases disposed in an array is disposed at an upper portion, each of the tablet cases accommodating solid preparations by type, the solid preparation accommodating unit having a discharge mechanism for discharging the accommodated solid preparations; a transfer mechanism unit for receiving the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases and collecting the solid preparations into a charging port is disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit; and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit for forming a pouch on a strip of packaging sheet and for charging each pouch with the solid preparations collected in the charging port and sealing the pouch is disposed below the transfer mechanism unit, wherein:

the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit are each individually accommodated in the main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction;

the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit includes a printing mechanism unit for printing on the pouch;

the main body is provided with an electrical component chamber below the solid preparation packaging mechanism;

the electrical component chamber is provided with a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as a CPU circuit board) for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a power supply for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit; and

a flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, wiring of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the central processing unit circuit board and the power supply.

2. A solid preparation packaging apparatus, in a main body of which a solid preparation accommodating unit having a plurality of tablet cases disposed in an array is disposed at an upper portion, each of the tablet cases accommodating solid preparations by type, the solid preparation accommodating unit having a discharge mechanism for discharging the accommodated solid preparations; a transfer mechanism unit for receiving the solid preparations discharged from the tablet cases and collecting the solid preparations into a charging port is disposed below the solid preparation accommodating unit; and a solid preparation packaging mechanism unit for forming a pouch on a strip of packaging sheet and for charging each pouch with the solid preparations collected in the charging port and sealing the pouch is disposed below the transfer mechanism unit, wherein:

the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit are each individually accommodated in the main body so as to be capable of being pulled out or pushed back in the back-and-forth direction;

the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit includes a printing mechanism unit for printing on the pouch;

the main body is provided with an electrical component chamber below the solid preparation packaging mechanism;

the electrical component chamber is provided with a central processing unit circuit board (also referred to as a CPU circuit board) for providing collective control to the solid preparation packaging apparatus, and a power supply for supplying power to the solid preparation accommodating unit, the transfer mechanism unit, and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit, the electrical component chamber being further provided with an image printing circuit board required for the printing mechanism unit to print based on image data; and

a flexible wiring cover which is continually curved as the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit is pulled out of or pushed back into the main body is mounted across the electrical component chamber and the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit in order to pass, through the flexible wiring cover, wiring of the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit to the central processing unit circuit board, the image printing circuit board, and the power supply.

3. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing circuit board of the printing mechanism unit is disposed at the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit.

4. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a step-down transformer is provided as a component of the power supply, and the transformer is mounted at a weight balance position at the center of a rear portion in the electrical component chamber.

5. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the main body is provided at a top front portion thereof with a specific solid preparation supply unit for supplying, to the transfer mechanism unit, specific solid preparations accommodated in a plurality of buckets each having an upper opening,

on a top surface region of the main body behind the specific solid preparation supply unit, a flat surface is formed to place thereon an input unit such as a personal computer for transmitting and receiving information to/from the central processing unit circuit board; and

a flat-shaped lid to cover the buckets can be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit.

6. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing circuit board of the printing mechanism unit is disposed at the solid preparation packaging mechanism unit.

7. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a step-down transformer is provided as a component of the power supply, and the transformer is mounted at a weight balance position at the center of a rear portion in the electrical component chamber.

8. The solid preparation packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the main body is provided at a top front portion thereof with a specific solid preparation supply unit for supplying, to the transfer mechanism unit, specific solid preparations accommodated in a plurality of buckets each having an upper opening,

on a top surface region of the main body behind the specific solid preparation supply unit, a flat surface is formed to place thereon an input unit such as a personal computer for transmitting and receiving information to/from the central processing unit circuit board; and

a flat-shaped lid to cover the buckets can be removably placed on the specific solid preparation supply unit.